I was born different. I was born more capable than others. At first it started small, I was able to read just by looking at other people doing it at a young age of 5, which is when I developed consciousness. I started watching Television more specifically Karate movies. My young mind thought this was incredible and that's when I started replicating the moves I saw with almost near perfection. As I grew so did my ability to adapt and my parents eventually noticed by the time I was 9, thinking that I was just a prodigy but that was not the case. My parents had decided to put me on the news as a generational prodigy since I was so quick to learn anything.
This news had spread like wildfire and unbeknownst to the people, the government had ensued a global wide manhunt to capture me by any means necessary. The government knew that increased adaptation was a must to study but reactive adaption was something else entirely. The Government was careful since they knew I could easily adapt to the things thrown at me. I was merely 9 and was left to fend for my own due to my parents being slaughtered right in front of me. I barely managed to escape with my life intact. My shoulder was bleeding and wounded with a bullet, numbing my arm but also sending jolts of pain due to the nerves the bullet lightly brushed against as I ran. Eventually the noise of cars and trucks driving eventually silenced.
The moon shun with intensity, revealing me on the empty road surrounded by trees on both sides and open to an ambush but nothing came. I hurriedly glanced back and forth awaiting for a armed soldier to hop out. My blood ran hot as I held my shoulder, running to the point where I couldn't feel my legs but continued to run. My breath was hitched and constant as I continued to run. I was confused, how did I end up like this?, it was instant and I nearly died trying to escape but I managed to.
Suddenly the sound of a large bell rung through my head and I felt a boost of 'adrenaline' and in that moment the pain in my shoulder was gone and mobility was given back, my legs regained feeling and I began to run faster yet my vision stayed clear and steady. To other's I was running similarly to a top track star. Eventually the sign of a gas station became visible and hope radiated through my mind, motivating to move faster.
I came to a stop at the front doors and in display of strength that no 9 year old should have, I burst through the doors, breaking them off their hinges. The clerk was shocked and began yelling but I quickly shushed him and he quieted down upon seeing my distress and my young appearance.
"What happened child?!, you just broke through my door for no reason"
The clerk yelled out but quieted down at the end. I waited until I felt like they wasn't following me and stood up facing the clerk.
"I'm being chased by your so called government. I need a weapon or something to defend myself against them."
I told the clerk as my breath finally caught up to me. I stood up as I looked around and jumped behind the counter and ducked. Soon after, 10 s.w.a.t cars came racing down and a few stopped in front of the restaurant. 3 s.w.a.t officers walked in with their guns aimed at the clerk who threw his hands up and pointed to me, giving up my location. I stood up with a look of betrayal and vowed to get my revenge, remembering his face as this was the man that doomed me.
4 years later…
I was walking with my hands cuffed behind my back locked in shackles. I tiredly walked until I was brought outside for the first time, light and warmth radiating in my darkness.
"After everything you've been put through, you will gain the power to achieve revenge. Are you willing to accept this training?"
A strange figure said as I nodded slowly, cycling through my mind to confirm to my self that this is what I needed to get my revenge, become the strongest and never let something like that happen again.
I fell unconscious and a few hours later I awoke to strange fighting noises outside and when I peaked out the window that was near me in the mysterious room I had yet to Check out, I saw spectacular spars with what seemed like godlike individuals. I quickly stood up and ran outside but was stopped by an old man that was about to my waist.
"Where am I?! Is this some kind of magical place?! Did I get isekai'd?"
I said In a curious voice attempting to figure out what was happening but I was clueless. The old man laughed heartedly and told me to follow him to which I did. I then entered a room with kids that was around my age as well.
"So this the guy? Sensei let me test him"
A young girl with blood red hair said as I glanced at her in confusion. The old man nodded and lightly pushed me to the large mat and now suddenly it was me vs this random girl. The girl dashed towards me and attempted to grample me but I dropped into a split and quickly spun myself to trip the girl attempting to pull of a variant leg sweep but she backpedaled just in time which shocked me due to me never seeing someone with that much control over their movement mid-movement. I quickly stood up just in time to block a right hook but I soon found myself dodging, ducking and being struck by a sea of combos.
I was struggling to keep up as the women continued to press me until she broke through my crooked defense and landed a side kick to my stomach, forcing me to double over and cough violently. The women rushed past me and grabbed the back of my shirt and flung me away. I hit the ground and began rolling and bouncing off the ground until I skidded to a stop, laying motionless on the ground as the women slowly stalked up to my body.
"This is the boy that will help us win? Sensei I think you've gone senile-"
The woman was speaking but then suddenly she lifted her arm just in time to use her forearm to block a straight punch, causing her to skid back. The sound of a bell rung through my head as my body and mental increased. My brain allowed me to pick apart the fighting style the woman was using against me and I engaged her this time. The woman scoffed as she attempted to palm strike me but I swiftly swiped the back of my hand towards her wrist, effectively redirecting the palm strike towards the ground. I could feel the pressure behind the attack and knew if I was hit at least once or twice more it wouldn't end well for me unless I could drag out the fight.
Reaffirming my goal to adapt, I quickly leant my body back as the women attempted to land an attack with her other hand. I then quickly placed my hand on the ground to support me and lifted myself up, twisting and thrusting my foot forward to land a kick to her stomach. This was proved futile as she brung up her leg to block the kick and that's when she swiftly dropped into a crouched position and swept my feet from under me. Once my back had touched the ground, I quickly preformed a kick-up to get myself upright. I was forced on the defensive again as I clashed with her fist and used my arms to block some of her hits. I felt my arms going numb as I kept blocking her hits and a bead of sweat fell down my face as I forced my body to continue fighting. Before I knew it, a swift combo was landed on my body; A palm strike to the stomach, leg sweep to throw off my balance and a quick jab to the face which would've finished me, if I didn't roll out the way in time.
Forcing myself to stand, the sound of another bell rung through my head as I used the back of my hand to block another jab and push off of it, redirecting it somewhere else. In that interval, we both clashed with 3 jabs and she blocked my upper leg kick. As she rushed in, I quickly brung my leg back and lashed out a palm strike towards the ground as she attempted to land a front snapping kick. This was futile as my palm connected with her foot and both of us were forced to skid back.
"I was just overwhelming you!. How can you just suddenly just start to become better? Unless you was hiding your strength."
The woman practically growled frustrated as she increased her speed, blurring from my view and landed a successful uppercut to my stomach, causing me to hunch over. Another bell rung through my head as I felt my endurance increase. The pain subsided quickly and I landed a wild counter-hook to her jaw which caused her to step back a bit. As I recovered I rushed forward and crouched, sliding my hand on the ground and attempting a leg sweep but as she jumped, I stopped my movement and twisted myself while lifting myself into the air, lashing out my other leg that inched closer to the women cheek as we were airborne.
"I can adapt to anything from what I learned about myself. I nearly escaped a global wide manhunt and was on the run for 7 months at the age of 9"
I said as she caught my leg and threw me to the side but I caught myself by twisting my body as I soared through the air and when I was upright, I landed with a slight skid. I had learned that from one of these people during one of the battles he saw when he looked out the window.
"Ice Manipulation: Hail"
The women said as the clouds gathered and darkened then soon after I felt an ice cube slam into my shoulder which nearly made he fall over. I stumbled as I quickly dashed backwards from more that started crashing down. I glanced up as I saw plenty began to fall down towards him.
The harsh ice cubes that were slamming into me began to bruise my body as I did my best to deflect and dodge them but the AOE was immense. As I continued to be bombarded with the hail, the sound of a bell rung through my head but it was louder than previously before and it shook my entire being as my body and soul resonated with the ring. I continued to dodge and I felt myself get lighter and move faster, noticing that I was successfully dodging more of the hail.
On instinct I held my hand out towards the sky and in that moment a roar of flames in the form of waves rushed out and began devouring the hail as steam was released among the field. Once it was over and the mist had cleared up, both Me and the women stood there, staring each other down.
"I see then. You're our trump card."
The women said as the old man slowly walked passed and nodded to her words with a smile to which she frowned.
"You could've just said that old man"
The woman said with a huff as she started storming off.
"I wanted you to see for yourself…Maria"
The old man said as I glanced between the two, raising an eyebrow at the interaction.